ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · vault · fan · present · net · drill · fall · arm

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. net — after costs
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. present — there
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. present — the time now
  8. fall — the season
  9. drill — the tool
  10. stock — shares
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fall — to drop
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. drill — a practice
  15. net — in sport
  16. vault — a safe
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. drill — army training
  20. present — a gift
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stock — goods
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. net — for catching

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com